


disgraced daughter of mantle

by sunnybeas



Category: RWBY
Genre: Heavy Angst, Heavy Speculation, Minor Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Volume 7 (RWBY), introspective, nora for winter maiden 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21815233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnybeas/pseuds/sunnybeas
Summary: Nora is lightning embodied. And lightning didn't ask for permission to strike. Neither would she.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	disgraced daughter of mantle

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavy speculation, based on absolutely nothing but the fact that I love Nora and can’t wait to see how this character arc is going to play out. She’s one of my favorite characters and I’m glad she’s finally getting the characterization and growth she deserves.

Nora’s was not an explosive anger, wasn’t quick to find its way to the surface, but it built and built until it burst from within her. In a way it was like the element her semblance relied on. You would hear the rumbling of thunder, a warning, and when she broke, it struck out. All she needed was once.

This anger felt new somehow, white hot and heavy like a second skin completely taking over. She didn’t like feeling like this, didn’t like control slipping between her fingers like this. She had yelled at General Ironwood, pouring out every single frustration and issue she had with his decisions. And he had waved her off, had tried to dismiss her and every word she had said like it meant nothing-

_The lightning doesn’t take advice from anyone_

She was shaking when she left the room, not giving Ren a second glance. Angry tears burned in the corners of her eyes and she didn’t dare turn her back and show him or the General. Would it have even mattered? To Ren, maybe, he never did like to see her cry. But he was…different somehow. He was taking actions she just could not begin to comprehend. She loved him, he was someone she had relied on for as long as she remembers but this. She didn’t understand. 

Why couldn’t he see that this was wrong? Ostracizing Mantle was not the right move, didn’t he understand all of those people were suffering? 

She could see Mantle lit up from the window in their dorm. It wasn’t beautiful, wasn’t even pretty enough to warrant a second glance but Nora couldn’t tear her eyes away. This had been the city she was born into. Disgraced daughter of Mantle, she thought, come home too late to save it. There was something coming, a civil war she and all of her friends were going to be caught in the center of. They couldn’t catch a break it seemed. Nothing could ever be easy, nothing could ever just go there way, could it?

It wasn’t like her to be so bitter but she couldn’t feel anything else when she thought of her childhood home. She remembered so little, just hiding in dirty alleys, stealing whatever food she could and constantly running. She wondered just how many children were going through that now because of this civil war.

And just like that, she was on her feet, shoveling every article of clothing she owned into a bag, grabbed Magnhilde and secured her weapon onto her back. This was now or never. Nora wouldn’t stand by and let Mantle rot away because of Atlas’ neglect. She didn’t know quite what she had planned just yet, but the pain of held in tears in her throat was burning and she blinked them away rapidly as she packed. She paused at Ren’s bunk, just below hers, fingers lingering on the neatly folded sheets. 

No. She wouldn’t lose her nerve now.

This wasn’t about feelings, she reminded herself, this was about doing the right thing.

_We never get the easy path, do we?_

She adjusted the bag over her shoulder, exhaled raggedly, and turned to go. Her legs felt heavy, chest twisting and tears burning in her eyes with each step she took to distance herself from the dorm. Nora had left Mantle before, had stumbled away because there had been nothing left for her there. Funny, all these years later she was stumbling back because there was nothing left for her here.

Her resolve grew with each step and by the time she reached the entrance of the Academy, she felt lighter somehow. 

She wasn’t running away. She was running _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> This is most likely going to be proved wrong by next weekend's episode but hey, that's what fanfiction is for right? It's my theory that JNR and RWBY are going to go through mini civil wars of their own, splitting between Robyn vs Ironwood, Mantle vs Atlas. I believe Nora is going to be shown to be from Mantle and join forces with Robyn and her Happy Huntresses. I'm beyond excited to see where her story is going this volume. Hopefully they do my girl justice.


End file.
